1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a material handling system and in particular to a vertical lift system particularly adaptable for parking motor vehicles in a vertical configuration on limited area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Single level and multi-level parking systems for automobiles, trucks, etc., have been used for many years. Single level parking is not cost effective, especially in urban areas. Multi-story parking buildings are utilized but are expensive to construct. Vertical lift systems have been employed, but the known systems are either too complex or too expensive. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,579,688; 3,387,722; 3,706,356; 3,750,899; and 4,209,276 disclose different types of vertical lift systems. Applicant is also the co-holder of U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,938 for a vertical parking system.
The difficulty with vertical lift systems heretofore was that the vehicle could be lifted to a certain level, but then the vehicle was limited in its movement to a parking space by the mechanicals of the system. The vehicles could be stacked one above the other or the vehicle could be moved off of the vertical lift either forwardly or rearwardly to a parking space or laterally to either side. Therefore while the vehicle vertical lift system could park more vehicles within a foot print of land by parking the vehicles vertically, the systems could not take advance of the entire foot print of land by parking cars in the four corners of the foot print of land. Thus the vertical lift systems could not take advantage of all the vertical space provided.
Still further, in urban areas, the zoning laws oftentimes prescribe spacing required for ingress and egress into parking garages and the size of parking spaces. The present system is adaptable to design compliance with the myriad of zoning laws that are present in various urban areas.